ONLYOFFICE gives you the best of Google Docs offline

ONLYOFFICE is an excellent and convenient alternative to Google Docs, as well as Microsoft Office. ONLYOFFICE, in fact, is a complete productivity suite, which does not fear comparisons and can fully replace the references of the market.

We have repeatedly explained to you why ONLYOFFICE is more functional than Microsoft Office. Not only that: unlike the Microsoft suite, ONLYOFFICE is and remains proudly free; an important advantage for self-employed workers or for those who only occasionally use an entire suite of office programs.

In this article we focus, instead, on the comparison between ONLYOFFICE Docs and the main competitor of calculation programs , presentation and writing: Google Docs.

The advantages of Google Docs? I'm also in ONLYOFFICE

The main advantage of Google Docs is that it is a web application. This means that you just need to be able to access a browser from any machine (Linux, Apple, fixed or mobile, etc.) to work on it without problems. The other advantage of Google Docs is the ability to work together, providing a long series of features that simplify collective and collegial work.| ); }
ONLYOFFICE has applications and works on all major operating systems, allowing you to work from your desk, online or offline, without problems. It can also be used from a browser, with a 100% online productivity and total sharing experience.

Above all, ONLYOFFICE guarantees maximum interoperability between the various media, an aspect in which even Google Docs is not always flawless. In particular, some fundamental aspects, such as print and layout settings, do not change when you switch from one version to another. A goal achieved thanks to the use of HTML5 Canvas and other advanced tools compatible with all major browsers.




A maxim, however, states that “if you don't pay for something, you are the product”. Here's what happens when we accept Google's terms of contract: The company can potentially see all of your data and can dispose of it however it likes. Yes, it could also block access to a document if it believes it violates its rules. If you think it never happened, unfortunately it isn't: already in 2017 an error led thousands of users to find themselves "locked out" of their documents.

Using ONLYOFFICE you are sure that your files are completely safe and under one control: yours. ONLYOFFICE allows you to choose whether to rely on your offline devices, or to install it on a server to be able to access them from the network.


ONLYOFFICE also respects the right of users to possess and control their personal data, following the latest European laws on the subject. For this ONLYOFFICE treats the least amount of data necessary and allows users to know how they are collected, stored and processed. ONLYOFFICE gives you the freedom to access, copy, delete, limit or move any personal data and, if your company acts as a data controller and interacts with its customers through ONLYOFFICE, you will have full access to the procedures through which they they can exercise their legal rights regarding their personal data.

For ONLYOFFICE, size doesn't matter

At first glance, Google Docs might seem very fast. Unfortunately, this is an effective mystification of the Mountain View company. As anyone who works on Google Docs on the move will know, the server does not immediately load the actual document but a "photograph" of it. After this operation has taken place, it is always necessary to wait a few seconds (or even more, depending on the connection speed) to be able to work with the document. ONLYOFFICE is more honest: it will tell you that it is still loading, until it is ready to be put to work.

But if you are working on a particularly "heavy" file, ONLYOFFICE uses a special trick: it only plays the page , the slide or image you actually need. The rest of the document will remain in memory, ready when needed. A detail that makes the difference and helps you forget about the traumatic blocks that plague large files on both Google Docs and Microsoft Office (and how many students and researchers know the thrill of seeing their paper crash before saving!). >


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The other advantages of ONLYOFFICE

It is not possible to identify all the advantages of ONLYOFFICE. We have already talked about the main features of the latest version, v7.1, in this article. In addition, we have explored how this suite "beats" even Microsoft Office, despite being free.

Here we limit ourselves to pointing out some "minor" advantages, which differentiate ONLYOFFICE from Google Docs.

1. Support for all popular file formats

ONLYOFFICE Docs files are fully compatible with Office Open XML files (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX) and support other popular formats such as ODT, RTF, DOC, TXT, ODS, CSV, ODP, XLS, PPT, HTML, EPUB, XPS etc.

2. Smooth collaboration

ONLYOFFICE Docs provides users with highly specific collaborative editing modes : symbols, paragraphs, revisions, changes, change and version histories up to the most recent comments and mentions, accompanied by integrated chat and plugins for the main audio and video messaging programs. With ONLYOFFICE everyone can do their part and collaborate effectively in the success of the work.

3. Flexibility

ONLYOFFICE leaves you free to choose how to use its editors, without "trapping" yourself. interior of limited and limiting ecosystems. Online you can associate

You can associate ONLYOFFICE Docs with the native ONLYOFFICE Workspace ecosystem or with the main business synchronization and sharing services: Nextcloud, Alfresco, Confluence, Seafile and many others. You can also integrate it into your favorite ecosystem:

E-learning platforms, such as Moodle and Chamilo, CMS services: WordPress, Drupal, ShaePoint, sync & share platforms: Nextcloud, ownCloud and Seafile, Project management solutions, like Jira and Redmine. The complete list is available at this address.



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The limits of Google Docs

Microsoft Office and Google Docs: These are the programs that come to mind when we think of writing, calculating or presenting.

Google has managed to popularize its suite in recent years, taking advantage of the changes to our style of life imposed by pandemic confinements. The company's strategy was clear and in line with its footprint: providing a completely free version for personal use, with the advantages of a reliable and solid online structure and the potential for interconnection with the mobile world; enter institutions and in particular schools and universities. Today the majority of Italian institutes have adopted Google Classroom, of which Google Docs is an integral and fundamental part.

But even Google Docs has its limits. We recall here the main ones:

it is, technically, a web app: being an application that works inside a browser, such as Google Chrome, you may have problems synchronizing and processing files offline; if you work on the go, you will always need a stable connection to work directly on your document. Or you will have to download, losing most of the functionality of Google Docs; like all Google products, Google Docs is only partially free. The 15 GB of space available is not infinite and, if you use it a lot for work, you may soon find yourself paying for more online storage; the security, privacy and other aspects of file ownership are entrusted to Google and are no longer under your control; the proprietary formats of Google Docs are little used, yet saving on .doc and .docx formats does not offer the same flexibility as the original.

ONLYOFFICE Docs and its advanced functions

If you wish to purchase the paid version of ONLYOFFICE Workspace, you will enjoy the advanced functions of the Ascensio System SIA program suite. First of all, fundamental for any company, is being able to count on employee (and user) support that works, with competent people who can really help you solve the problems that occur.

Then there is the great integration with other services, necessary in enterprise contexts. Furthermore, you can enjoy a further improvement in security and privacy, a feature already present in the free version and further improved in the paid version.



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ONLYOFFICE beats (also) Google Docs

Let's make a summary of why ONLYOFFICE wins the challenge with Google:

Using Google Docs is very convenient, but does not respect privacy You can use ONLYOFFICE editors in both public cloud and private network Unlike Google, ONLYOFFICE editors can be used within other cloud platforms (such as ownCloud / Nextcloud) and third party web apps ONLYOFFICE is better for working with files large size ONLYOFFICE is compatible with any browser ONLYOFFICE has a WYSIWYG editor always working, a fluctuating feature in Google Docs ONLYOFFICE provides users with many solutions thanks to the open sour philosophy there is. The source code is present on GitHub. This ensures transparency and reliability, because you can check and customize it at any time. And this also implies greater guarantees on data confidentiality and on the commitment not to monitor user activities.

In summary, ONLYOFFICE is a preferable option to Google Docs in both the free and enterprise versions. ONLYOFFICE brings together the best of Microsoft Office and Google Docs and integrates it with effective and efficient improvements. Try it, you won't be able to do without it: the installer is available on the official website.